French eyewear retailer selects Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 for Retail

Issy-Les-Moulineaux, France -- The Optic 2000 group, whch operates more than 1,850 specialty stores for eyewear and hearing devices, has chosen Microsoft Corp.’s enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution, Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 for Retail, to manage its sales, supply and inventory across its entire network of operations in France. Usability, simple maintenance, functional excellence and ease of upgrading are the key advantages that led to the company’s strategic decision to adopt the Microsoft business solution.

“The choice of Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 for Retail is part of a comprehensive strategic vision for our company, which sees Microsoft as a key partner for stability, trust and innovation. Our objective is to streamline our resource management with this ERP solution, to deliver a real value proposition to our customers — through the advice and support we offer during the sales process and beyond, as well as by ensuring we are offering real value for the money,” said Didier Papaz, CEO, Optic 2000 group.

With more than 1,850 stores (cooperatives, franchises and outlets) whose tools were no longer simple and effective to use and which were not able respond to industry developments, Optic 2000 was looking to adopt a unified and easy-to-use solution that could be adapted to the needs of each outlet. After extensive research, the team abandoned the idea of an eyewear-specific ERP solution in order to benefit from the power and flexibility of Microsoft solutions. Over and above the stability, the performance, the ease of maintenance and the wealth of functionality, Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 for Retail distinguished itself as an innovative and open ERP solution, ideal for developing new tools specific to the eyewear industry.

“We wanted a single solution that was easier to manage and that allowed us to optimize the quality of services provided by our IT department to our users,” said Patrick Seux, director of organization and IT of the Optic 2000 group. “By using Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 for Retail, we can regularly update the entire system, all the applications on all the workstations. We also wanted to manage, archive and share our data from each point of sale. The data will remain specific to each outlet, but their security features will be centralized. In addition, the Microsoft solution allows us to look to a future in which we will be able to confidently access data on the go from mobile devices and heterogeneous point-of-sale terminals, and this for a price lower than that of the solution currently in place.”

Solutions Spotlight

To support consumers’ omnichannel shopping behaviors, product information, inventory availability, and customer profile and order information must be current and available throughout the enterprise to enable real-time visibility. In this white paper, you'll learn all about the new demands of a harmonized shopping experience; the new generation of network-centric information systems with access to rich information; and the perceived value of new store-level technology.

Store of the Week

Kleinfeld Hudson’s Bay, a luxurious 14,000-sq.-ft. bridal shop on the top floor of the Hudson’s Bay flagship and headquarters building in Toronto, took the top prize — Store of the Year — in the Association for Retail Environments 2015 Design Award.More...